making a social media strategy

Making a strategyUsing social media with purpose

What is a social media strategy?

Focusing your goals as a journalist or news organisation into how you use social media.

What isn't a social media strategy?

Making a Facebook page.Starting a Twitter account.Pinning photos aimlessly on Pinterest.Checking in obsessively on FourSquare.Audiobooing every conversation you have.Posting your mobile phone videos to YouTube. These are tools. Not strategies.

Journalist vs. News organisation

Journalist's goals● Quickly source one-off

stories● Cultivate sources in

niche communities● Break news● Find breaking news● Interact with sources and

users● Demonstrate your

knowledge/expertise● Share your content● Show that you're human

News org's goals● Share content and

increase web traffic● Crowdsource opinion

and case studies● Build positive

reputation & brand● Lead on breaking

news stories● Cultivate loyal users● Promote interaction

and debate

Step 1 Turn goals into objectives

Goal: Cultivate sources in niche communities Objective: Develop four strong sources with strong links to or within the National Union of Students Wales within two months. Make your objectives SMART -Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely

Step 2 Determine your communities.Objective: Develop four strong sources with strong links to or within the National Union of Students Wales within two months. Communities: ● Students' unions officers and staff● NUS Wales staff and officers ● University and Colleges Union staff ● Other people working for higher and

further education (Hefcw, Higher Education Wales, etc.)

Step 3 Develop a strategy ● Where are these communities within

social media?○ Twitter - @lukeyoung NUS Wales President,

@katie_dalton former NUS Wales President, @LeightonAndrews Education Minister and NUS Wales alum

○ Facebook - Jennifer Krase Bangor Uni officer, Stephanie Lloyd, NUS Wales women's officer, NUS Wales page

Step 3 Develop a strategy● How do you cultivate sources in these

communities?○ Twitter

■ Your account should reflect your purpose for using it as a journalist or news org.● appropriate profile picture● keywords in bio

■ Follow people after your account reflects your purpose, not before. They're more likely to follow back.● Last three tweets important when following.

■ Listen to the person's tweets.■ Ask them questions.■ Engage in off topic discussion.■ Ask online to meet offline.

Step 3 Develop a strategy

● How do you cultivate sources in these communities?○ Facebook

■ Cultural of privacy makes it more difficult to engage individuals on professional level.

■ Officers have different privacy settings, though the expectation of privacy may be higher than the settings allow.

■ Pages are more like forums, though only useful if active. NUS Wales isn't very active.

■ Even though there is a presence, Facebook may be worth monitoring and researching sources, but not engaging and cultivating them.

Step 4 Pick your tools

● Which tool(s) are going to help you reach your objective?○ In this case, Twitter offers a more public forum.

Because the objective is to cultivate sources who the journalist doesn't have, Twitter is a better choice than Facebook.

Step 5 Set your plan

● What are you going to do to reach your objective?○ Revamp your Twitter profile with picture (avatar) and

bio that reflect your objective.○ Search and listen to people in the communities

you're trying to reach.○ Begin tweeting in a way that engages them.○ Follow key people in those communities.○ Listen to what these people say.○ Be bold and engage with them, though keeping to

journalistic standards and ethics.○ Ask questions, begin conversations.○ Take the conversation offline. Meet for coffee.

Step 6 Measure your success

● How well did you do?○ How many open message tweets did you send to

potential sources? (ie. @joniayn wondering what you think about twitter lists?)

○ How many of those potential sources responded?○ How many did you engage with on multiple

occasions?○ How many did you meet offline, or speak to over the

phone?○ How many were used as sources in published or

broadcasted content?

A social media strategy is...

a blueprint for using the right social media tools to achieve your goals.

Task 1 List your goals

Make a list of your goals as a journalist or news organisation.

Task 2 Turn 2 goals into 2 objectives

Use your goals to create two SMART objectives. (If you're on a role, write down more!)

Task 3 List the communities relevant to your objective

Look closely at the objective and determine the specific groups, organisations, companies, schools, etc. that you're trying to reach/effect. Communities are like audiences, except you talk with them, not to them.

10 minute break before...Your 'traditional' social media toolkit